One and done: Rookies head home after losses
By: Kate Nocera
November 27, 2012 11:24 PM EST

They arrived in Congress two years ago as fresh-eyed neophytes, leaving behind ordinary jobs back home with big dreams of changing the stubborn ways of Washington.

But for 13 freshman Republicans of the historic class of 2010, their “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” moment ended after a single term, forcing them back to private life a lot sooner than they’d hoped.

For Illinois Rep. Bobby Schilling, it means returning to the pizza shop he ran with his family before trying his hand at politics. He’s polishing up his résumé for some other opportunities but plans to help his 18-year-old son take over the business when he gets home.

Needless to say, making pizza is a far cry from the deal making, fundraising and travel that comes with being a member of Congress. But it was fun while it lasted.

“We did everything we could, and we realized pretty early on in the day the turnout was going to be tough for us,” he said. “But there’s also a lot of relief. On election night, my 14-year-old daughter tweeted out, ‘Yay, I got my dad back!’”

Others aren’t quite so ready to resume their pre-congressional lives. Illinois Rep. Robert Dold was running a pest control company his family still owns when he ran for office, and New York Rep. Nan Hayworth was a practicing ophthalmologist and medical director at a communications company before she entered politics.

Both said they’re focused on the “fiscal cliff” lawmakers will have to solve — or not — before their successors are sworn in in January. But after the thrill of the past two years, neither seemed ready to shut the door on politics.

Returning to Congress after the election, their disappointment was palpable.

“Life’s too short for regrets, so we’ve just got to take some time and make some assessments about what the future’s going to hold,” he added.

Hayworth, a favorite among the Republican leadership, made clear she has no intention of being a one-term wonder.

“I’ve got some media possibilities and there are a lot of folks who want to see me involved in terms of the future of the party,” she said. “I want to be an advocate for our principles [that] really say the federal government should have the right size … and should leave other matters to the states and individuals.”

A self-described social moderate, Hayworth said she thought it was important for her to remain in public life — especially as the GOP has lost ground with women and minority voters.

“There was always a certain group of people who would come up to me and say, ‘Nan, we know this isn’t you, but your party says things on the social front that we can’t agree with.’”

She called Dold’s loss “a real heartbreaker.” And as for her own, she said it won’t slow her down until she hands over the keys on Jan. 3.

“Of course it’s disappointing, but I was out in my district two days later,” she said. “That’s just how I am, I don’t know how to slow down.”

New York Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, a former nurse and lawyer, has remained quiet about her future after losing. And Florida freshman Sandy Adams, a former sheriff’s deputy who lost her seat in a primary to Rep. John Mica, has said she likely plans to stay in public service.

“In my adult life, I have always enjoyed working with people, helping people,” Adams told the Orlando Sentinel. “From my law-enforcement career to my statehouse career to this time in the U.S. Congress, it has always been fulfilling to me.”

Perhaps no other freshman gained more celebrity — and notoriety among his opponents — as quickly as Florida Rep. Allen West. And his loss was a stunning upset, perhaps most of all to him. The army lieutenant colonel was a hero to the tea party, had raised millions and fought the election outcome for two weeks before conceding.

But no one expects West, who taught high school briefly in his former life, to fade away.

“Right now, God knows the plans for my life. The most important thing is to enjoy Thanksgiving, my youngest daughter has her 16th birthday on Saturday. That’s where my concern is now, to be with the family,” he said on Fox News Tuesday, the day he conceded. “We’ll make that decision as a family as far as where we’re going to move ahead.”

Some speculate that West, known for his bombastic and often controversial comments, will find a home on cable TV. Others have suggested he should run again in a different, more conservative district, perhaps in his home state of Georgia.

Others could have their sights set on higher offices. Rep. Joe Walsh, another tea party favorite who lost resoundingly to Democrat Tammy Duckworth, told the Daily Herald he wouldn’t rule out a run for governor of Illinois in 2014.

“Oh gosh, I don’t know,” he told the newspaper. “People approach me every day and ask, ‘Walsh, are you going to run for governor? Are you going to run for Senate?’ I want to do my part to lead a movement to present a vision to this. I’d rather go down fighting.”

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of freshmen who lost their elections.